The invention concerns a camping vehicle, such as an automobile or a trailer for leisure time activity, that comprises at least one vehicle wall; a fold-out tent construction comprising at least one tent wall that, upon erection of the tent construction from a stowed-away state that is provided by the at least one vehicle wall and in which the tent construction is folded down, can be moved into an erected state in which the tent construction is folded out; and a frame structure for maintaining the erected state of the folded-out tent construction. The at least one vehicle wall and the at least one tent wall adjoin each other in such a way or are joinable to each other such that they, in an adjoined state, form together a part of a boundary wall construction that, in the erected state, defines at least one interior living space of the camping vehicle wherein at least a part of the at least one vehicle wall as well as at least a part of the at least one tent wall each immediately delimit the at least one interior living space.
A camping vehicle of the aforementioned kind has a fold-out tent construction that is integrated into the camping vehicle.
A similar camping vehicle that is widely used in practice is, for example, a so-called “folding caravan”, i.e., a trailer that has a fold-out tent construction. Such a folding caravan is also referred to as “tent trailer” or, for short, pop-up camper. In the folded-down state of the tent construction the cargo space in the cargo area of the folding caravan serves as storage space for parts of the folded-down tent construction. In the fold-out state of the tent construction, the cargo space may be part of the interior living space of the tent construction.
Instead of a trailer, such a camping vehicle provided with a fold-out tent construction can also be in the form of an automobile. In this case, the camping vehicle is referred to generally as a “motorhome” or also “camper”. In such a motorhome with integrated tent construction the tent construction in the stowed-away state may be, for example, housed in a container at the rear wall, the side, or the top of the motorhome.
Such camping vehicles with an integrated tent construction are provided for leisure time activities. For example, during vacation the tent construction is frequently folded out and erected or folded down and stowed. Users who choose such an integrated transportation means that combines transport and dwelling possibilities often visit a different vacation site every day.
Even at a set dwelling location of the camping vehicle, the tent construction is frequently folded out or folded down. For example, users do not want to fold down and stow away a tent construction that is wet because of precipitation. In order to avoid this, in anticipation of an expected shower, the tent construction is often briefly stowed only during the shower in order to then unfold and erect the tent construction again after the shower. When because of a required departure that cannot be delayed, the tent construction must be folded down anyway while wet, the users will then briefly erect the tent construction again at a later suitable point in time only to have the opportunity to allow the tent construction to dry. After drying, the tent construction is then again stowed away.
Because of the frequent fold-out and fold-down of the tent construction, users often have the desire that at least the fold-out action but also the fold-down action may be carried out with optimal ease of use.
In case of the known camping vehicles with an integrated tent construction such ease of use is still lacking to a great extent.
When folding out as well as folding down, the users must know or must find out where and in which way the frame structure, in the form of, for example, rods, tent poles, but also tent cords, tent stakes, tent pegs, or the like, must be erected or returned into its stow-away state. In this connection, frequently a user must move underneath a drooping tent fabric, crawling and searching on his hands and knees, while he should keep the tent fabric in a raised position at the same time. All this requires several manipulations, often done by several persons, wherein the tent fabric must be pulled and stretched at different locations. When the tent construction, for example, is provided with a bottom sheet, this sheet, when unfolding it, is not positioned properly, often as a result of the difficult tasks of the users, so that the bottom sheet is positioned askew and undesirable folds are formed. The tent construction, in particular the bottom sheet, is often wet and/or soiled so that the user often will end up with dirty body parts and dirty clothing. Also, the frame structure is often improperly erected. Users may be injured by parts of the frame structure.
The required efforts and the obtained final result of erection as well as of stowing of the tent construction in known camping vehicles with an integrated tent construction depend greatly on the skill, the experience, the number and physical possibilities of the users in question. In case of single, smaller, older, weaker or bodily impaired users, choosing such a camping vehicle often is not an option.
It is an object of the present invention to provide, for avoiding the aforementioned disadvantages, a tent construction of a camping vehicle of the aforementioned kind mentioned in the beginning that is at least easier to erect.